Now THAT was funny!




"On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me... Clap."

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me. What in the
world
do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the
partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?
*
Well just read on: From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were
not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era
wrote this carol as a catechism song for the young Catholics. It has two
levels of meaning, the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only
to members of their church.
*
Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which
the
children could remember.
   1. The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
   2. Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
   3. Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
 4. The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark,
Luke and
John.
 5. The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five
books.
   6. The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of
creating.
 7. Seven swans a swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the
Holy Spirit-- Prophesy, Serving,   Teaching, Exhortation,
Contribution, Leadership and Mercy.
   8. The eight maids a milking were the eight beatitudes.
 9. Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy
Spirit--Love, Joy,
Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self
Control.
   10. The ten lords a leaping were the ten commandments.
   11. The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful
disciples..
   12. The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve
points of belief
in the Apostles Creed.
*
So there is your history for today. I found it interesting and
enlightening and
now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol.......So pass
it on!